Resources

Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP
is a leading commercial law firm in the Midwest, recognized nationally for
transactional and litigation practice. Corporate Board Member magazine has
consistently ranked the firm as one of the Best Corporate Law Firms in
America. With over 300 lawyers, concentration is focused on more than 45
significant practice areas including: franchising and distribution,
intellectual property, labor and employment, securities and finance, real estate,
mergers and acquisitions, creditors rights and bankruptcy, litigation,
employee benefits & executive compensation and estate planning.

Our firm has earned the trust of
Fortune 500, multinational, middle-market public companies and some of the
largest privately held companies in the United States. Many of these clients
are global leaders in their industries, including agribusiness, energy,
finance, manufacturing, communications, transportation, franchising, design and
engineering. Our lawyers have earned distinction for legal strategies and
innovative solutions provided to meet the business and regulatory challenges of
our clients in these industries.

Our services include proactive
counseling to franchise and distribution clients. Our franchise attorneys
design policies and procedures aimed at maintaining positive relationships
between franchisors or suppliers and their franchisees and distributors. Legal
and business guidance is provided to start-up companies in the development
stages of their franchise and distribution concepts.

The franchise practice covers
federal and state regulatory compliance, area development and single-unit
franchise offerings, development of non-franchise distribution systems,
relationship issues, dispute resolution, trademarks and licensing of
intellectual property, capital raising and acquisitions. Practice experience
and expertise is used to effectively and efficiently assist clients in defining
and achieving development goals.

Donald A. Culp, chair of Blackwell
Sanders Franchise & Distribution department, has long been recognized as
an industry expert in franchising and distribution law and has guided clients
in structuring, implementing and maintaining comprehensive franchise systems in
product and service industries. Don is a frequent speaker at legal symposiums
and seminars on franchising and distribution. He is listed in Best Lawyers in
America: 1997 through 2006.

Christina L. Weis, concentrates her
practice in general corporate, securities, mergers and acquisitions and
franchising. She advises clients on franchise transactions and counsels
clients with respect to the formation of business entities, management and
transformation of contractual relationships, asset and stock acquisitions and
compliance with securities regulation.